Roughyeds squad almost complete

ANOTHER player may yet be added to Oldham’s squad for next year.

Jamie I’Anson and Lee Greenwood are the latest men to be brought in for the 2009 season, taking the number of senior players in coach Tony Benson’s impressive looking group to 28.

“The signing of those two will almost certainly be the completion of the squad,” said chief executive Chris Hamilton. “There will maybe be one more in, but no more than that.”

With the squad looking well-stocked in terms of forwards and outside backs, should a new man be brought in he would be likely to provide competition in the half-backs.

The new campaign is due to begin with a round of Northern Rail Cup games on the weekend of Sunday, February 8, and the hope is that winger Ben Seru, due back in mid-season following a cruciate knee ligament operation, will be the only injury absentee at that time.

Robert Roberts missed training last Thursday and Saturday on medical advice following an injection to calm bulging discs in his back.

However, he has been back in the fray this week and has reported a marked improvement in terms of back pain the morning after each session.

The club is waiting on a specialist’s report regarding the elbow problem which restricted Richard Mervill’s pre-season last year, while Danny Halliwell is to be examined on Friday in order to find out whether he needs an operation on a possible hernia which has been troubling him for some time.